Barbara Edelheit, MD, is an accomplished pediatric rheumatologist, educator, and passionate advocate for gender equity in medicine. She serves as an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, where she has made significant contributions to both clinical care and academic leadership. At Connecticut Children’s in Hartford, CT, Dr. Edelheit holds several key leadership roles, including Division Head of Rheumatology, past Board Chair of the Connecticut Children’s Specialty Group, and Vice President of the Medical Staff.

Dr. Edelheit’s clinical expertise centers on the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and her medical degree from the State University of New York Upstate Medical University. She then completed her residency at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, followed by a pediatric rheumatology fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

A dedicated mentor and educator, Dr. Edelheit is deeply committed to fostering the next generation of medical professionals. She founded and chairs an affinity group for women physicians at Connecticut Children’s. She has served as the National Mentorship Chair for AMWA and is on the Board of Directors for AMWA for the 2026–2028 term. Dr. Edelheit also serves as the faculty mentor for the University of Connecticut’s AMWA student chapter. Dr. Edelheit co-leads the CT chapter of AWIR since March 2024.

Dr. Edelheit has received numerous honors, including the AMWA 2025 Exceptional Mentorship Award, and she was an AMWA 2024 Inspire Award honoree. She also received the Chair’s Award for Wellbeing at Connecticut Children’s in 2021 and the McNeill Teaching Award from the UConn School of Medicine Pediatric Residency Program in 2017. As a medical student, Dr. Edelheit received the AMWA Leadership and Service Award from the local and professional branches of AMWA in Syracuse, NY.

Dr. Edelheit enjoys spending time with her husband and three daughters, as well as traveling and hiking.